Chelsea, New York
André Ethier
Under Grape Leaves
Derek EllerDerek Eller Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of new paintings by André Ethier. In Under Grape Leaves, André Ethier paints mythical imagery of tropical scenes, personal interludes, and imaginary creatures, constructing narratives with a Fauvist pallet and confident brushwork. Oils heavily thinned with varnish create a quick-drying solution that lends itself to expedient water-color like painting. This technique creates a fluid luminosity on the surfaces and highlights Ethier’s dexterity of hand and gestural economy. Ethier allows subject matter to reveal itself to him as he paints and, to that end, there is a pervasive sense of discovery in his compositions. Reminiscent of symbolist paintings by Gustave Moreau, he creates mythological citations within an eccentric pastiche of nature and lush interiors. In one painting Pan, the god of pastures and nature, eats canned olives out of the trash; in another, a blue lion contentedly lounges in an armchair. Moments of individual reflection occur as well, as the artist’s infant daughter is portrayed peacefully sleeping in a crib. Whether comedically absurd or a tenderly idyllic portrayal of family life, the narratives depicted are seen as equally fantastical in nature. André Ethier lives and works in Toronto, Canada. His work has been featured in exhibitions at Honor Fraser, Los Angeles, CA; Galeria Marta Cervera, Madrid, Spain; Musee Des Beaux-Arts De Montreal, Montreal, Canada; Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, NC and Gallerie Anne de Villepoix, Paris, France, among others. This will be his sixth solo exhibition with the gallery.